Droplet catcher, droplet catcher system of EUV lithography apparatus, and maintenance method of the EUV lithography apparatus
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsShih-Yu Tu, Po-Chung Cheng, Hsiao-Lun Chang, Li-Jui Chen, Han-Lung Chang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A droplet catcher system of an EUV lithography apparatus is provided. The droplet catcher system includes a catcher body, a heat transfer part, a heat exchanger, and a controller. The catcher body has an outer surface. The heat transfer part is directly attached to the outer surface of the catcher body. The heat exchanger is thermally coupled to the heat transfer part. The controller is electrically coupled to the heat exchanger.
Claims20
A droplet catcher, comprising:
- a housing;
- a catcher body, adjoined to the housing and comprising a tube portion having an open end and an opposite end opposite to the open end;
- a first heat transfer part, directly attached to the tube portion;
- and
- a flange disposed on the tube portion and dividing the tube portion into an inlet region between the open end and the flange, and an accommodating region between the flange and the opposite end,
- wherein
- an upper outer surface of the tube portion at the accommodating region keeps a first distance from the housing, the first distance is gradually decreased from the flange to a first position and then gradually increased from the first position to the opposite end of the tube portion,
- a bottom outer surface of the tube portion at the accommodating region keeps a second distance from the housing, the second distance is gradually increased from the flange to a second position and then gradually decreased from the second position to the opposite end of the tube portion, and
- the second position is more adjacent to the flange than the first position.
A droplet catcher system of an EUV lithography apparatus, comprising:
- a housing;
- a catcher body, adjoined to the housing and comprising a tube portion having an open end and an opposite end opposite to the open end;
- a heat transfer part, directly attached to the tube portion;
- a flange disposed on the tube portion, wherein
- the flange divides the tube portion into an inlet region between the open end and the flange, and an accommodating region continuing the inlet region,
- an upper outer surface of the tube portion at the accommodating region keeps a first distance from the housing, the first distance is gradually decreased from the flange to a first position and then gradually increased from the first position to the opposite end of the tube portion,
- a bottom outer surface of the tube portion at the accommodating region keeps a second distance from the housing, the second distance is gradually increased from the flange to a second position and then gradually decreased from the second position to the opposite end of the tube portion, and
- the second position is more adjacent to the flange than the first position;
- a heat exchanger, thermally coupled to the heat transfer part;
- and
- a controller, electrically coupled to the heat exchanger.
A maintenance method of an EUV lithography apparatus, wherein the EUV lithography apparatus comprises a source vessel, a droplet generator and a droplet catcher assembly, the droplet catcher assembly comprises a catcher body comprising a housing;
- a tube portion adjoined to the housing and having an open end and an opposite end opposite to the open end;
- a heat transfer part attached to the catcher body;
- and a flange disposed on the tube portion and dividing the tube portion into an inlet region between the open end and the flange, and an accommodating region continuing the inlet region, wherein an upper outer surface of the tube portion at the accommodating region keeps a first distance from the housing, the first distance is gradually decreased from the flange to a first position and then gradually increased from the first position to the opposite end of the tube portion, a bottom outer surface of the tube portion at the accommodating region keeps a second distance from the housing, the second distance is gradually increased from the flange to a second position and then gradually decreased from the second position to the opposite end of the tube portion, and the second position is more adjacent to the flange than the first position, the maintenance method comprising:
- reducing a temperature of the catcher body by flowing a heat transfer fluid through the heat transfer part extending continuously between the open end and the opposite end of the tube portion;
- and
- breaking a vacuum status of the source vessel after the temperature of the catcher body is reduced to a predetermined point.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.